The Group 8 Gathering exhibition launch

The Boat, bog oak, Tommy Campbell

Group 8 launches its fourth annual exhibition of art and writing, The Group 8 Gathering, on Friday the 15th March at 7pm in The Regency Room in Hayden’s Hotel, Ballinasloe. The exhibition will take place between the 15th and the 18th of March 2013, daily from 11am to 6pm, including Saint Patrick’s Day. 

The Group 8 Gathering is the result of collaborative work the group undertook around the theme of emigration and returning home. Ballinasloe has seen its share of emigrants and even inspired one of the most famous images of emigration: Erskine Nicol’s ‘The Emigrants’ which is housed in London’s Tate Gallery. The painting shows a red-shawled woman at Ballinasloe train station on her way, with others, to Galway to board boats to America. The Group 8 Gathering draws on historic and present day experiences of emigration through installation, photography, fiction, paintings, sculpture and poetry.

Group 8 is comprised of seven visual artists and two writers: Joyce Little – visual and multimedia artist; Tommy Campbell – sculptor; Grellan Ganly – visual artist; Úna Spain – visual artist; Brendan Grealy – visual artist; Nuala Ní Chonchúir – writer; Zara Little-Campbell – writer; John Soden – painter; and Fiona Glynn – textile designer.

The group’s mission statement sets out what we hope to achieve: ‘Group 8 is a non-profit, professional arts group, united in the belief that art worthy of exposure can express the vitality of a community, and foster awareness, imagination and co-operative learning between the artist and their community.’ The group also hosts literary events.

The Group 8 Gathering, and its accompanying catalogue, will be launched by Fergal D’Arcy. All are welcome to come and see sculpture, photography, installations, and paintings; listen to live poetry and fiction readings, music from Johnny Johnston, and enjoy a glass of wine. Admission is free.